1. Field
The present invention relates to a drum washing machine, and more particularly, to a drum washing machine, which allows a door to be easily assembled with a housing and firmly endures a load of the door.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, drum washing machines are apparatuses that wash laundry using a head of water obtained by rotating a drum. Each of the drum washing machines includes a housing forming an external appearance of the washing machine, a tub installed in the housing to contain water, a drum rotatably installed in the tub to contain laundry, and a driving motor to generate a rotary force of the drum.
An opening through which the laundry is put into the drum is formed through a front surface of the housing, and a door rotated to open and close the opening is hinged to one side of the front surface of the housing. Further, in order to improve the external appearance of the washing machine, the front surface of the housing is sunken so that the door can be inserted to a designated depth.
A hinge member to rotatably support the door is provided between the door and the housing. One side of the hinge member is connected to a central portion of a side surface of the door, and the other side of the hinge member is connected to the housing. That is, the hinge member is provided with a hinge protrusion provided at one side thereof and installed on a rotary axis of the door, a hinge hanger provided at the other side thereof and connected to the housing, and a hinge body connecting the hinge protrusion and the hinge hanger.
The door is installed on the front surface of the housing, and thus exerts a great influence on the design of the drum washing machine. In designing the drum washing machine, the door may have an increased size or an increased weight. In this case, all the load of the door is applied to the hinge member to rotatably support the door. Then, the hinge member, which is provided on the central portion of the side surface of the door, may be twisted by the load of the door.
Here, in the case that the hinge member has a weak rigidity, the hinge member may be deformed, and the door will tilt and cannot be smoothly opened and closed. Further, when torsion is continuously transferred to the hinge member, the hinge member will be broken.
In order to assemble the door with the housing, the hinge hanger of the hinge member needs to be fixed to the housing. However, in the case that the door has an increased size or an increased weight, it is difficult to assemble the door with the housing.